Holiday Thailand December 2010 / Jan 2011

mochyn88

Samui will be holding thier annual party and if you are a party animal you should head there instead of Pattaya

Heliflyguy

Whilst I didnt advise it and what has been said is true, because my wifes family live on that side of Thailand (a couple of hours north) and I wanted to spend some time relaxing with our daughter before we went native back at the families home we spent a very happy few days at the Woodlands resort in Pattaya which I would recommend to anyone, when it rained we went to central plaza and watched the latest harry potter film, and a bit of advice you can eat very cheaply in any of the shopping malls open food halls in Thailand.
You can avoid all the other stuff, its just getting harder to do so.

I would never swim in that sea though.
I would agree with Donnie, maybe check out those islands.

But maybe your friend knows you better and your a "party guy" if so go no futher than Pattaya.
At least go and see a temple in Bangkok on the way back.

Oh and your wont get a Baht bus form the BKK airport so my advise on taxis stand, you could of course get the coach.

Donnie

Heliflyguy wrote: »

Oh and your wont get a Baht bus form the BKK airport so my advise on taxis stand, you could of course get the coach.

I don't think the Metered taxis from the airport will use their meters either. Probably a fixed price trip. Plus, as you will get the next driver in the queue, it's entirely possible that he won't know any addresses in Pattaya, nor will he have the time to research them. He'll be driving around Pattaya asking people as to the location of your hotel

So you''ll be paying the same or higher price than the limo service from Pattaya. Who will not only have the advantage of knowing the area, but will have the time to research any obscure addresses before you arrive.
In addition, there is much comfort to be found in someone waiting for you at the airport, holding a card with your name and helping you with your luggage.

So, I'll stick with my advice. Use the coach if you are on a really tight budget or prebook your journey.

Donnie

mochyn88 wrote: »

Samui will be holding thier annual party and if you are a party animal you should head there instead of Pattaya

Which party would that be?

Doshwaster

Donnie wrote: »

Which party would that be?

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Koh+Samui+new+year+party

I prefer Samui to Pattaya. There's still plenty of partying options but much easier to get some peace and quiet. The adult "entertainment" is there if you want it (though tamer than Pattaya or Phuket) but it's also easy to avoid.

mattsbury

Thanks to everyone so far for replying, all the information is very helpful. We are 3 single guys all out for a good time and a bit of a party ages 23, 24 and 28 but as well as the partying we'd also like to see some different places, we don't wanna be stuck in the same place throughout the day - I heard from Pattaya you can get the ferry to different islands? Also had suggestions that I should try a couple of nights in Bangkok before I leave but I would have no idea what that's like either. Some nice beaches would be good - I don't think we're going to venture as far as Koh Samui when we get there as it seems a bit too far? Id love to move round and travel a bit but I don't think any of us would have a clue how to use public transport etc! Unless its easy to negotiate your way around

Also...can anyone tell me what Phuket is like? I can see it's not from Koh Samui too? Looks pretty appealing, maybe moreso than Pattaya...

fifeken

If you're staying in Pattaya and like the beach then go down to Jomtien which is just south and accessible via baht bus as pictured above. Do not hire jet skis as there are many stories of people being scammed into paying for "damage" they have caused.

The bus Donnie mentions from the airport to Pattaya is good value but you can't afford any flight delay if you are to catch the last one. I would recommend a taxi service like the one mentioned, or here's another:

http://www.pttaxiservice.com/

The price is only just over £20 so split that between 3 of you and it's peanuts for an hour and a half journey. You might be glad of it after your flight and it'll take you right to your door, unlike the bus.

Doshwaster

If it's your first trip to Thailand then you really have to do a couple of nights in Bangkok. It's one of the most chaotic cities on the planet but great fun for two days - then you just want to get the hell out. You can get top end hotels for bargain prices and there are plenty of cheap places to eat and drink.

As for Phuket... I would say it's more up market than Pattaya (but still with plenty of adult nightlife), busier than Samui - but also much more expensive too. I was there last year and the prices of food, drink and taxis were shocking. On the up side there are lots of great places to visit nearby such as Phi Phi island, Phang Nga bay and Ko Tapu (just google for some stunning photos). I'm not so familiar with the islands near Pattaya.

Donnie

Doshwaster wrote: »

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Koh+Samui+new+year+party

I prefer Samui to Pattaya. There's still plenty of partying options but much easier to get some peace and quiet. The adult "entertainment" is there if you want it (though tamer than Pattaya or Phuket) but it's also easy to avoid.

Don't try to be funny. If you don't know, just say that you don't know.

There is no specific Samui New Year party. Most people head to Koh Pha Nghan.

Donnie

mattsbury wrote: »

Thanks to everyone so far for replying, all the information is very helpful. We are 3 single guys all out for a good time and a bit of a party ages 23, 24 and 28 but as well as the partying we'd also like to see some different places, we don't wanna be stuck in the same place throughout the day - I heard from Pattaya you can get the ferry to different islands? Also had suggestions that I should try a couple of nights in Bangkok before I leave but I would have no idea what that's like either. Some nice beaches would be good - I don't think we're going to venture as far as Koh Samui when we get there as it seems a bit too far? Id love to move round and travel a bit but I don't think any of us would have a clue how to use public transport etc! Unless its easy to negotiate your way around

Also...can anyone tell me what Phuket is like? I can see it's not from Koh Samui too? Looks pretty appealing, maybe moreso than Pattaya...

As Doshwaster has alluded to, you are more likely to be ripped off in Phuket. Samui too if you are not careful. Though that is mainly by the taxis on both islands.

No, it is misinformation that you can get ferries to island around Pattaya. There is a single island. Generally used for day trips.

Phuket is even further than Samui, though generally cheaper to reach by flight.

Don't try to fit too much in. If you are partying, you'll need recovery time. You'll want to be on the beach, not on a bus or wandering around looking for accommodation.

Be realistic about how you want you holiday to look, draw up a realistic itinerary and then we can help with transport and accommodation.